Monorail-car.



G. T. LEWIS.

MONORAIL GAR.

APPLICATION IVILBD MAR. e, 1913.

1,09 1,853. Patentd Mar. 31, 1914.

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COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH (30., WASHINGTON, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFIfiE.

GEGRGE T. LEWIS, 0F SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

MONORAIL-CAR.

menses.

Application filed March 6, 1913.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE T. LEwIs, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city of Seattle, in the county of King and State of Vashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Monorail-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in mono-rail cars, and more particularly to the mechanism which is employed in maintaining the cars in proper balanced position; that is, in preventing the tendency which arises for the car to tip sidewise.

The object of my invention is to provide means which will automatically act to restore the balance or level position of the car, as soon as this may be disturbed for any reason.

My invention comprises the novel parts and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown my invention embodied in the form which is now preferred by me.

The figure is a cross sectional elevation of the car taken through the cylinders which are employed for restoring the car to its level position.

In this figure I have indicated the trackway structure in general by the character 1. This may be any suitable construction and is provided with a top or weight-carrying rail, 10, and two side rails 11, located, one at each side of the track-way structure and adapted to form a bearing and rolling surface for the wheels 6, which are carried upon the depending portions 30 of the car; the latter lying, one at each side of the trackway structure. Upon the main rail 10, travel trucks, which I have indicated in general by the figure 2. These trucks may, in general, be of any suitable construction, and as their construction is, in most particulars, immaterial to my present invention, I have not illustrated these in detail.

The body of the car 3, is entirely above the trucks, except that there are legs 30 extending downward at each side of the track way structure, and carrying means by which the balance of the car is maintained through engagement with the bottom rails 11.

The wheels 6 are mounted in the head carried by the outer end of the piston rod 50. The piston 5 which is connected with this Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 31, E314.

Serial No. 752,498.

rod, is within the cylinder 4, which is supported by a rocking pivot tO, from the lower end of the legs 30. An extension, 51, of the same piston rod, projects from the opposite end of the cylinder and is pivotally secured to the lever which is pivotally mounted upon a bracket carried by the cylinder. The other end of the lever connects with the valve-stem 53, through which the valve 54: is controlled. This valve and its associated parts are. such as would be used in a steam engine, the valve as shown being a common D-valve, the exhaust being through the hollowed base of the valve. The valve chest 55, is supplied with any suitable expansive fluid, preferably air, through a pipe 56, this pressure being constantly supplied within the valve chest. The head carried by the piston rod and within which the wheel 6 turns, is supported against vertical movement by means of a rod 60, which is pivoted at 61 to said head, and at 62, or its other end, is pivotally supported from the truck in such manner as to permit the wheel 6 to move horizontally toward and from the track. I prefer that the'upper supporting connection of this rod, be to one end of the lever 63, which is pivoted at 64 to the truck. The opposite end of this lever is pivotally connected with a corresponding link 60, by means of which the opposite wheel 6, is likewise supported.

The mechanism above described will act as follows: Should the car incline laterally, it will cause one or the other of the legs 30 to approach nearer to the trackw'ay struc ture. This will cause the piston 5, at that side of the car, to approach nearer to the outer end of the cylinder, which action, through the connection of the piston with the lever 52, and valve stem 53, will move the valve 54, so as to admit the air, or what-- ever equivalent fluid is used, to the outer end of the cylinder, thus forcing the piston toward the track-way. This will tend to straighten up the car. The piston at the opposite side of the car will move oppositely; that is, toward the inner end of the cylinder which, through the same connecting means, will act upon the valve to admit the expansive fluid to the inner end of the cylinder, to move the wheel 6 outwardly. The air pressure being upon these cylinders at all times, they will automatically act to maintain the horizontal stability of the car, As the car moves under this inclining or rocking action, it is necessary that the cylinders be mounted so as to have a slight rocking movement. At the same time it is necessary that the wheel 6 be maintained at practically a constant level and that they do not act by their own Weight to cause the cylinder to rock upon its pivot bearings. I therefore provide the link 60 which supports the wheels and at the same time permits the inward and outward movement of the wheels which will occur by the rocking action of the car.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a mono-rail car, in combination, car supporting trucks, a car body having legs extending downward, at each side of the track, side-bearing wheels upon said legs, and a power cylinder and piston for each side-bearing wheel, said wheels being carried by the piston rods and means for counteracting the side strain upon said depending legs by the act-ion of a fluid in said cylinders.

2. A mono-rail car having side-bearing wheels and fluid controlled pistons connected with said wheels to oppose the side-tipping tendencies of the car, and means for controlling the application of said fluid to the piston controlled by the position of the piston in the cylinder.

3. A mono-rail car having legs depending at opposite sides of the track structure, fluidoperat-ed cylinders pivotally supported upon said legs, pistons in said cylinders having their rods extending toward the track structure, a wheel connected with said piston and adapted to engage the counterbalancing rail, and means for controlling the application of the fluid to said piston by the position thereof in the cylinder.

4. A mono-rail car having legs depending at opposite sides of the track structure, fluid-- operated cylinders pivotally supported upon ture, a wheel connected with said piston and adapted to engage the counterbalancing rail,

and a valve controlling the application of I fluid to said piston, a pivoted lever and connections from opposite ends of said lever respectively with the piston and with the valve;

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature at Seattle, Washington, this 11 day of Feby. 1913.

GEORGE T. LEWIS.

Witnesses: I

R. G. \VRIGHT, H. REYNOLDS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

